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Robert Towne

Robert Towne

Known For Writing
Birthday Nov 23, 1934
Died Jul 01, 2024 (89)
Birthplace San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA
Popularity 1 (history)
Updated Sep 25, 2025
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

Robert Towne (born Robert Bertram Schwartz; November 23, 1934 - July 1, 2024) was an American screenwriter, producer, director and actor. He was part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking. He is best known for his Academy Award-winning original screenplay for Roman Polanski's Chinatown (1974), whi ... ch is widely considered one of the greatest screenplays ever written. He later said it was inspired by a chapter in Carey McWilliams's Southern California Country: An Island on the Land (1946) and a West magazine article on Raymond Chandler's Los Angeles. Towne also wrote the sequel, The Two Jakes (1990); the Hal Ashby comedy-dramas The Last Detail (1973) and Shampoo (1975); and the first two Mission: Impossible films. Towne directed the sports dramas Personal Best (1982) and Without Limits (1998), the crime thriller Tequila Sunrise (1988), and the romantic crime drama Ask the Dust (2006). Description above from the Wikipedia article Robert Towne, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

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Filmography

The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made

The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made

2004

as Agent XK150 (archive footage)

Suspect Zero

Suspect Zero

2004

as Professor Dates (uncredited)

The Pick-up Artist

The Pick-up Artist

1987

as Stan

Shampoo

Shampoo

1975

as Party Guest (uncredited)

Drive, He Said

Drive, He Said

1971

as Richard

The Zodiac Killer

The Zodiac Killer

1971

as Man in Bar #3

Creature from the Haunted Sea

Creature from the Haunted Sea

1961

as Sparks Moran / Agent XK150 / Narrator

Last Woman on Earth

Last Woman on Earth

1960

as Martin Joyce

Ask the Dust

Ask the Dust

2006

Screenplay

Mission: Impossible II

Mission: Impossible II

2000

Screenplay

Without Limits

Without Limits

1998

Writer

Mission: Impossible

Mission: Impossible

1996

Screenplay

Love Affair

Love Affair

1994

Screenplay

The Firm

The Firm

1993

Screenplay

Days of Thunder

Days of Thunder

1990

Story, Screenplay

The Two Jakes

The Two Jakes

1990

Characters, Writer

Frantic

Frantic

1988

Additional Writing

Tequila Sunrise

Tequila Sunrise

1988

Screenplay

Tough Guys Don't Dance

Tough Guys Don't Dance

1987

Additional Writing

8 Million Ways to Die

8 Million Ways to Die

1986

Writer, Additional Writing

Deal of the Century

Deal of the Century

1983

Additional Writing

Personal Best

Personal Best

1982

Writer

Heaven Can Wait

Heaven Can Wait

1978

Additional Writing

Shampoo

Shampoo

1975

Writer

The Parallax View

The Parallax View

1974

Additional Writing

Chinatown

Chinatown

1974

Writer

The Yakuza

The Yakuza

1974

Screenplay

The Last Detail

The Last Detail

1973

Screenplay

The New Centurions

The New Centurions

1972

Additional Writing

Drive, He Said

Drive, He Said

1971

Additional Writing

McCabe & Mrs. Miller

McCabe & Mrs. Miller

1971

Additional Writing

Cisco Pike

Cisco Pike

1971

Additional Writing

Villa Rides

Villa Rides

1968

Screenplay

Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie and Clyde

1967

Additional Writing

The Tomb of Ligeia

The Tomb of Ligeia

1964

Screenplay

Last Woman on Earth

Last Woman on Earth

1960

Screenplay

Ask the Dust

Ask the Dust

2006

Director

Without Limits

Without Limits

1998

Director

Tequila Sunrise

Tequila Sunrise

1988

Director

Personal Best

Personal Best

1982

Director

The Bedroom Window

The Bedroom Window

1987

Executive Producer

Personal Best

Personal Best

1982

Producer

Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

No data available

The Story of Film: An Odyssey

as Self

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 03, 2011

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 9 17 5
2024 7 17 30 7
2024 8 13 21 4
2024 9 7 16 2
2024 10 4 7 1
2024 11 5 12 1
2024 12 5 9 2
2025 1 8 15 4
2025 2 3 5 1
2025 3 2 5 1
2025 5 2 3 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 1 1 0
2025 8 2 11 0
2025 9 0 0 0
2025 10 0 1 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
2024 6 793 793
2025 9 605 154

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